2013 Volkswagen Up! Official Photos and Info

VW hopes to redraw the map of the small-car segment.

Finally, here's a production car that looks like the concept from which it was derived. The Volkswagen Up! (yes, it includes the exclamation point) doesn’t deviate much at all from the show car that surprised the industry four years ago—at least not visually. Like that original, this final version will debut at the Frankfurt auto show.

Although the Up! is small—at 139.4 inches long and 64.6 inches wide, it is six inches shorter and nearly two narrower than a Mini Cooper hardtop—VW calls it a “giant among small cars.” A 95.3-inch wheelbase (1.8 shorter than the Mini’s) pushes the wheels way out the corners, making for interior packaging that comfortably accommodates four passengers and nine cubic feet of cargo space. Fold the rear seats and cargo volume swells to 34 cubes.

The Up! was originally conceived to be a rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive vehicle, a move that would have endeared it to enthusiasts, but the bean counters objected. So it is instead built on VW’s so-called New Small Platform, which will spawn a number of vehicles, including low-cost cars for the third world. If that doesn’t inspire confidence, we expect to see sister models from Škoda and SEAT—and perhaps even Audi. The production Bulli, inspired by the famous Microbus, also will draw heavily from the NSF platform. Many components also will be shared with the Polo and other larger Volkswagens.

TIM ANDREW, THE MANUFACTURER

New Heights in Powertrain Choice

With the Up!, customers will be able to choose not only between different engines, but also between entirely different propulsion concepts. (It’s not yet decided if those customers will include Americans or if the Up! will stay in Europe.) The first versions to hit the street will offer two versions of a new 1.0-liter three-cylinder, rated at 59 and 74 hp. Fitted with an optional engine stop/start system, they will return an estimated 56 and 55 mpg, respectively, by the wildly optimistic European calculations. The standard transmission will be a five-speed manual. A 67-hp natural- gas version (with or without stop/start functionality) will follow, and an electric Up! is a sure thing for the 2013 calendar year. The E-Up! could make life very difficult for competitors such as the Smart ED and BMW's costly i3. We admit to wishing for a high-powered version with triple-digit horsepower, as well as a torquey diesel. In the meantime, though, we hope the regular three-banger will be civilized: We’ve been told balance shafts were left out for cost reasons.

Communication functions are integrated within the so-called “Portable Infotainment Device,” a cool-looking touch-screen tablet that attaches to the top of the center stack. VW says that specific apps will allow owners to personalize their driving experience. We’re curious to see what, exactly, this means in real life. There are many other premium options, such as a collision-avoidance system that will brake for you at urban speeds.

As mentioned before, the styling of the Up! is extremely close to that of the 2007 concept car. That's a very good thing. It has a clean, contemporary, and upscale air about it, and its space utilization is exemplary. VW hopes its new model—available in entry-level “Take Up!,” mid-level “Move Up!” and top-of-the-line “High Up!” trim levels—will become a classless car, much like the Beetle. At least on paper, the Up! has the style and the content to achieve it. We’ll find out for sure when it goes on sale in Europe this December.